Driving become hazardous in winter

Safety Insights – Winter Safety Tips

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The winter season brings cold temperatures and often severe weather that create many hazards for individuals working in these conditions. Even if you work indoors, winter weather still poses many dangers for you such as driving into work in lousy weather or walking through an icy parking lot or yard to get to your building. It is essential to recognise and address the hazards winter brings with it.

Winter driving

One of the main issues winter poses in many parts of the country is poor driving conditions. The hazards created by winter weather make it hard for even the most experienced drivers to operate a vehicle safely.

Slips, trips, and falls are one of the leading causes of injuries and fatalities in the workplace. Snow, sleet, and ice significantly increase the chances for slip, trip, and fall incidents to occur.

Winter safety tips when driving

  • Monitor weather for any incoming snow storms or icy conditions and plan your travel around those conditions. Do not put yourself in a situation where you are stuck on a roadside
  • Do not drive in wintery conditions if possible. Eliminating driving eliminates your chances of being in an accident
  • Be a defensive driver. Stay clear of other drivers and maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you, in case you need to brake or turn to avoid an accident
  • Slow down. Winter weather conditions necessitate having to reduce your speed. Reducing your driving speed will give you more time to react as well as help to avoid losing control of your vehicle

When walking on icy/ snowy surfaces

  • Remove trip hazards before snow or ice conditions are present
  • This eliminates someone tripping over a buried object after the snow or ice hits
  • Shovel and salt parking lots and walkways before work begins in that area
  • Have walkways addressed before workers get on site in the morning
  • Take your time when walking across slippery surfaces
  • Taking smaller steps lessens your chance of losing your balance
  • Wear proper footwear for the weather condition. Wear shoes with solid tread on the soles
Staff camaraderie

A star amongst us

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A long career with Thompsons

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We wish you a happy retirement Ace. Thank you for your 45 years of dedicated service to our company, and to our customers in Port Albert.

Thompsons Soil Sampling photo - people

Understanding in-field variability: soil sampling

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Written by Alex Richardson, Agricultural Consultant, Thompsons – Blenheim.

Wheat harvest is complete and yields have given us great insight about our fields once again.

Variability was evident, and the results remind us it’s time to soil sample.

Soil sampling after wheat harvest is a great option to allow for the right conditions, and the time to do the sampling properly. It gives us the ability to plan using these results–not only for the remaining growing year, but for next year as well.

Results gathered now can be reviewed and used to apply some fall fertilizer or make spring plans for fertility management. Knowing what nutrients are already in the field is the best way to start that process.

Thompsons offers 3 main soil sampling packages, with options to suit any grower and any field.

Intensive Zone Sampling
Using data from numerous sources, grower expertise, and your local Thompsons Agricultural consultant, management zones will be mapped and generated throughout the field.  Soil samples will be taken across these zones to best represent the field following the topography, yield, or problem areas depicted in the zones.

Site-specific Sampling
Choose from a 1 acre, 2.5 acre or 5 acre sample area.  Your field will be overlaid with a grid, followed by samples taken in each grid from an area that best represents the lay of the land within that grid space.

Precision-Lite Sampling
Generate larger zones across the field to sample. Zones range from 10 acres to 25 acres in size, again based on numerous sources and grower expertise.  Monitor and map the variability in your field!

Talk to your local Thompsons Agricultural Consultant today about any of these sampling packages and customized options. We can build a soil sampling plan to suit your individual farm and management situation.

We all know our fields are variable and need to continue managing the variability on our farms!

All soil sampling options include a complete mapbook of your field and soil analysis, with lab results attached.

Once the results have come from the lab, the value of soil sampling begins as fertility management progresses. With the help of your local Thompsons Agricultural Consultant, your field’s fertility can be reviewed and a plan put in place to build and maintain your soil health.

Late Application of Nitrogen

Late season nitrogen application

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Corn N ChartLate season nitrogen application has been a hot topic amongst farmers and uptake in this practice has increased in recent years. The expense and environmental impact has made growers think differently about nitrogen application.

Weather extremes has also caused growers to change the way they apply nitrogen to mitigate loses from excessive rainfall when applying all their nitrogen ahead of planting. Read more

Preparing grain bins for harvest

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Preparing grain bins for harvest should be done to maintain the quality of grain and to make sure the areas around bins are ready for the busy season ahead. It is also a good time to inspect any mechanical components and clean up around the bin. Simple maintenance and safety rules will make sure we don’t experience any difficulties in the season ahead.

A key reason why people become entrapped in grain is because grain stored in bins is spoiled. Making sure that the bins are ready to be loaded with newly harvested grain reduces the risk of spoilage. If the grain is in good condition, people don’t have to enter the bin, reducing the risk of entrapment. Read more

Heat stress

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Heat stress can be a killer on the job site. Outside of the direct consequences such as heat stroke, heat stress can cause incidents due to loss of focus or excessive fatigue on the job.

Heat-related illnesses

Heat cramps

 

Heat cramps are painful, brief muscle cramps. Muscles may spasm or spasm involuntarily. Heat cramps can occur during exercise or work in a hot environment or begin a few hours later.

Heat exhaustion

There are two types of heat exhaustion. Read more

Wheat leaf diseases

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What increases the risk of infection?

  • Cool temperatures
  • Prolonged periods of wet weather
  • Rust problems in the southern US states and Mexico could mean the same for Ontario as storm systems carry the spores north
  • Planting susceptible varieties.Planting after another cereal or corn crop.

Wheat leaf diseases, percentage

How do I know when to apply a fungicide?

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